Priorities and Doing Things Right

Bob Jordan, PE

In the field of engineering (this applies elsewhere, but I’ll limit my scope), and especially engineering management, there’s a reality that I’d like to expand on. It is said often that leaders do the right things, and that managers do things right. This means that the leader is somehow the visionary who sees the big picture and wants to do the right thing, that is, prioritize what needs to be done in the midst of many things that need to be done.

Managers, so the story goes, are those who do things right. They follow process, systems, and procedures correctly, but don’t necessarily see the big picture. In my observation a leader and a manger have to do the right things, and also have to do them right.

For engineers this too is required, that is, that they do the right things and that they do things right. Here’s why: Engineers have specialized knowledge and others know that. That is, non-engineers know that when it comes to the “technical stuff” they cannot compete with the educated, experienced, and serious looking engineer. The danger here is that the engineer may not be doing the right things, and the things that they are doing they many not be doing them right. But who can challenge it?

To understand what needs to be done, and how it needs to be done, when it comes to the engineering department, requires that the leader of the department be a trained engineer. Further, this engineer had better have a track record of accomplishments to demonstrate that he knows how to do things right (as well as how to do the right things, that is, to prioritize activities). To make sure priorities are right, the engineering manager can work with others in the organization to ascertain what things are most important. Yet, after this, the manager has to judge that those things that are being done are being done right.

Herein lies a critical risk. If the leadership of the organization is not experienced in engineering process and methods, if they are unprofessional (garage shop mentality), if they are uneducated, then they may well not approve of what the engineering manager is doing with his staff. Under these circumstances, the engineering manager is almost bound to fail with his “superiors.” The irony is that he can succeed with his staff and peer group yet not succeed with his superiors.

Engineers have to do the right things. This can be helped by leadership from the engineering manager on what to do first. Secondly, the engineer has to do things right. This can also be an area where the engineering manager can mentor and assist and guide a younger staff. The staff has to have the tools and capacity to be led, and to follow guidance, and to have the education to carry out engineering tasks. This can all be done with an experienced and savvy manager. Un-teachable engineers are out. No manager can reach the unreachable.

Prioritization of tasks is crucial. Plans to reach the goals are necessary. Accountability to the assigned completion date goals has to be enforced. Results are the bottom line, results that demonstratably add to the success and prosperity of the organization.